By :
M.S.Yatnatti Editor and Video Journalist Bengaluru : The General Data Protection Regulation or the GDPR is
a new law that came into force in the European Union from May 25 . GDPR
enshrines data protection and privacy rights for European users, and holds
companies handling their data, wherever they may be, liable for violations. The
penalties run into hefty fines -- highest being 20 million euros or 4% of annual
turnover -- whichever is greater. Facebook has sprung into action to
redistribute its data-handling operations. Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has done
the same. Twitter has updated its privacy policy too. Indian tech, publishing
and e-commerce companies will also have to review how they handle, store and
erase data. The EU law cames into force from May 25, and decrees that consumers
or "data subjects” have right to erasure of their data and a right to port
their data from one place to another. It also places a premium on the data
subjects' consent to collection and processing of data. Although the law is
being introduced in the EU, its ramifications extend the world over. That is
because it is not focused on regulatory measures for tech companies, but rather
on the protection of EU citizens and their data. Since internet and tech
companies the world over handle data from across the globe, the consequences of
breaking the law extend to them. The law was introduced in 2016, with data
controllers and processors the worldover given two years, until this year's May
deadline to comply. Indianswill
continue to use online products and services the way you did. The EU law is not
designed to protect citizens outside of it. Indian businesses handling EU user
data, however, will have to take another look at the way they collect and use
data or face massive fines. Industry bodies in India are attempting to handhold
companies through the regulatory maze. Nasscom and the Data Security Council of
India held familiarisation workshops in March in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
"Nasscom has also launched a GDPR Helpdesk for member companies to have their
questions resolved,

According to
reports Facebook has been and remains the undisputed king of
the social network market. Granted, in some regions of the world, like Russia
or China for example, there is a more level playing field with the success of
popular alternatives to Facebook who take an equal market share. But for the
most part, Facebook is the worldwide leader when it comes to social interaction
online. If you're using the platform, you've got no choice but to accept the
network's settings on privacy and data protection and live with them. If you
don't want to do this, then you'll have to find a good and conservative alternative
to Facebook - and either convince all of your friends, family, colleagues, and
acquaintances to join you, or be prepared for the fact that your online
friendship circle will be significantly reduced (to begin with at least).If you on the hunt for a conservative
Facebook alternative? While it may seem like a daunting task, you can rest
assured you're not alone. Whether it's because of hidden terms and conditions,
data protection issues, or platform rules and regulations - the reasons for
finding an alternative to Facebook are common and more and more users are
looking to avoid the Californian social media giant. The market for similar
networks is massive, and there's a large selection of platforms ready to accept
Facebook's digital refugees. In our guide, we've already introduced some of the
biggest and most important social media platforms around. But regardless of
whether you're using Twitter, Instagram, or Google+: Awareness and
consideration about privacy and data protection are also
important factors in choosing to use any of the other social media giants. One
common complaint targeted specifically at Facebook is that that Facebook
Newsfeed algorithms decide exactly what you do and don't see. Another problem
is personalized advertising, which is of
course only possible through accessing and interpreting personal user data. As
you can see: the list of criticisms for the social network market leader is
long. So it's good news that there are a few other alternatives to Facebook on
the market. Some of these Facebook alternatives are more conservative, offer
less advertising, others offer improved data protection, and some even offer
extended functions and features that aren't currently available for Face book
customers.